Sankaram | The First View

R E

The First View

SC O

for SSA Trio

PE R

U SA L

Music by Kamala Sankaram Text by Kalpana Chawla 2019

PE R U SA L SC O

R E

R E

SC O

The First View

U SA L

for SSA Trio

PE R

Music by Kamala Sankaram Text by Kalpana Chawla 2019

Program Note This text is adapted from a 1998 India Today interview with astronaut Kalpana Chawla. The year before, she was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia, becoming the first Indian woman in space. In 2003, Kalpana Chawla died in the Columbia disaster.

SC O

R E

The earth is so small.

The atmosphere looks like a ribbon with different colours hugging the earth.

In such a small planet,with such a small ribbon of life, so much goes on.

The earth is not just a bluish hue.

You see all the colours.

When the Sahara comes into view, the ocean near it is an emerald green.

The Sahara itself looks golden brown.

Then you cross the Nile; it looks like a deep, dark green ribbon.

It is almost as if everything is in fast forward.

It is totally dark.Then dark to violet, to orange and red and then it's sunrise.

At the sunset, there was a moon—its crescent was razor sharp and the colour was dusty silvery.

Then the moon raced away from us and was lost in the glow of the earth. Almost like a story book that you read as a child.... pollution ?

U SA L

I did see it.

We saw fires...

We saw smog layers...

We saw smokestacks.

So many people are arguing or fighting.

It’s like being in the whirlpools which are always present behind a little rock near a river.We seem to be living in these little whirlpools and forget that there is a whole river.The picture is much bigger.We should take time to look at the big picture.

Performance Notes

= close to the voiced consonant on the indicated pitch and rhythm

PE R

= Gliss between microtones in indicated rhythm

= Should be performed with a strong attack on the appoggiatura

Instrumentation Soprano I Soprano II Alto Duration: 9'

First printing, March 2024 Copyright ©2019 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved.

Program Note Copyright ©2019 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

3

The First View KALPANA CHAWLA

KAMALA SANKARAM

q=100 p

° ## 2 Œ & 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

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œ

SOPRANO 2

The

° ## 3 & œ œœ4 ˙

3 4

˙

The mf

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6 8

The

first

first

first

first

˙

The

The

first

The

˙

˙

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œ œœ

first

The

first

The

first

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is

mag-i- cal.

earth

is

The

mag-i- cal.

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view

˙

view

earth

is

first

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first

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view

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mag-i- cal. The

mp 4 Œ œ œ 3œ œ ˙™ 4

œ œ œ

The earth is so small. mp 3

The

The earth is so small.

The

4 Œ œ œ œ œ ˙™ 4 3 4Œ 4 œ œ œ œ ˙™

mp

˙

The

˙

first view of the

˙

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¢

first

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first view of the

18

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The

first view of the earth

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first

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10

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first

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## 2 p ALTO & 4 ¢ ˙

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R E

first

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SC O

SOPRANO 1

The earth is so small.

˙

˙

first

The

œ

œ 3œ œ

œ

3

œ œœ

at-mo-sphere looks like a

œ œ œ

Copyright © 2019 Kamala Sankaram Music (ASCAP) Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

view

at-mo-sphere looks like a

œ œ œ

The

first

œ

3

œ œœ

at-mo-sphere looks like a

4

° ## nœ nœ j & J œ œ œ œ 25

3

rib - bon with dif -'frent co - lours hug-ging the

In such a small 3

Œ œ œ œ œ ˙™

bœ bœ œ ˙

rib- bon.

Co- lours.

The earth is so small.

In such a small

j n œ ˙ ™™

Œ œ œ œ œ ˙™ 3

œ œ bœ ˙

The earth is so small.

In such a small

30

SC O

Co- lours.

° ## bœ œ bœ bœ b˙ Œ bœ &

bœ n3œ bœ n˙

Œ bœ bœ

with such a small

rib-bon of life,

## & bœ œ Œ bœ bœ œ ˙

bœ œ œ b˙

plan- et,

## &

bœ œ

with such a small

Œ nœ

œ bœ ˙

with such a small

PE R

plan- et,

° ## nœ & J Œ 35

# j &# œ Œ

3

U SA L

plan- et,

R E

j nœ ˙™™

rib- bon.

rib-bon of life, 3

bœ bœ bœ b˙

rib-bon of life,

œ 87 nœ ™

so much goes

Œ bœ œ

on.

On

œ 87 nœ ™

mp

so much goes

Œ nœ œ

mp

nœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ

on.

On

mf

7 œ 8œœœŒ

so much goes

on.

œ The

mf mp . . . .

4 7 œ œ œ œ n œ œ n œ n ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ bœ ‰ J ‰ J Œ J ‰ J ‰ 4 œ œ œ 8 J J J

Not

a

not

not

a

You see all the

co- lours. When

the

j j j j j j œ. ‰ œ ‰ œ Œ œ. ‰ œ ‰ 44 œ œ nœ œ 87 œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ . .

Not

¢

earth.

œ bœ bœ n˙

## j & nœ ˙™™ ## j & ¢ œ ˙™™

¢

b˙ ™

nœ bœ œ œ nw

## & œ

j nœ œ

earth

is not

a

mf

not

not

j œ œ œ nœ ˙

just a

blu-ish hue.

a

You see all the

mf

co- lours.

When the Sa-

4 7 4 œ œ œ œ 8 œ nœ ‰ œ. j ‰ œj ‰ . mp

You see all the

co- lours. When

the

mf 3 ° ## œ. œ. nœ. j j . . . . .

4 œ nœ ‰ ‰ ‰ n œ ‰ œ n œ ‰ œ ‰ ‰ & J J J J J J œ. œ.

J J œ œ 4œ œ 39

Sa

## nœ & J œ ha - ra

Sa - ha - ra

the

the o - cean

it

œ œ œ 3

œ

œ œ #œ J

œ œ J

comes in - to

view

the o - cean

near it

it

is

an

3 4 œ œ 4 nœ œ œ n˙

is

an

43

œ œ nœ œ œ 44 œ

the o - cean

œ

it

it

œ™ œ 7 J 8 #œ ™

is

em - e - rald green.

The

Sa - ha

## 7 mp j‰ j ‰ jŒ ¢& 8 œ. œ. œ.

Sa - ha

-

-

° ## 4 3 #œ ™ œ & 4œ œœ J 47

ra

is

em - e - rald green.

mf œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. œ œ 44 J J J J you,

then you cross it

mp

gol - den brown. Then

4 j‰ j‰ 7 4 œ n œ n œ ™ œj 8 œ ™ . . ra

is

mf

you,

then you cross it

œ œ œ œ

Ϫ

gol - den brown. Then you cross the Nile;

œ œ 44 it

subito p 3 3 œ œ œ 3 4 œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ Œ 4 Œ œœœ œ œ

looks like a deep, dark green rib- bon.

## 4 3 & 4 œ œ œ œ ™ œJ

an

j7 j j 4 j‰ j‰ 4 4 œ. nœ. nœ ™ œ 8 œ™ #œ. j ‰ œ. j ‰ œ. ‰ œ. œ œ 4 mf

PE R

The

mf

U SA L

mp

7 8

˙

mp

The Sa ha-ra it - self looks gol - den brown. Then

## 7 j ‰ j ‰ j & 8 œ. œ. nœ. Œ

7 8

R E

the

SC O

° ## 7 & 8Œ

Sa - ha - ra

7 8

˙

em - e - rald green.

mf ## j j j j j j j j 4 3 j j ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ œ. nœ. œ. nœ. œ. nœ. œ. nœ œ 4 œ œ œ ¢& œ. œ. nœ.

Sa

5

It's like be-ing in fast

for- ward,

It is to-tal-ly

subito p 3 3 œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 43 œ œ Œ 44 Œ œ œ œ œ œ

looks like a deep, dark green rib- bon.

It's like be-ing in fast

for- ward,

It is to-tal-ly

subito p 3 3 j ## 4 3 3 4Œ œ œ Œ œ Œ œ œ ™ ¢& 4 nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ 4 œœœ œ œ looks like a deep, dark green rib- bon.

It's like be-ing in fast

for- ward,

It is to-tal-ly

6

accel.

dark.

Œ œ

3 j j ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œJ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Œ

3 j j j œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™

dark.

° ## & œ

œ

œ

œ

o

range

and

3

-

to vio - let

and red

œ

° ## p ™ & œJ œ

Tempo primo

59

The-(n)

# &# Œ

to

œ

red

and

then

œ œ™ J

The-(n)

o-range and red and then

œ

dark to

œ œ™ J

The-(n)

it's

f

f

vio

-

œ œ™ J

The-(n)

it's

let,

˙

U ˙

sun - rise.

œ

let

œ œ

and then

œ œ™ J

The-(n)

U ˙

sun - rise.

f

3

œ

-

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

œ œ

and

PE R

o-range

œ

œ

3

o-range and red,

j œ œ

to vio

œ

U SA L

3 ## & œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

## j ¢& œ œ

let

-

j œœ

o-range and red, thendark

œ

œ œ

o - range and

dark

vio

o-range and red, thendark to vio-let o-range and red, then

Then dark to vio- let, to

3

to

œ J

3

Then dark to vio- let, to

˙

56

o-range and red, thendark

œ

œ J

œ

R E

dark.

¢

3 j œ œj œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J

Then dark to vio- let, to

## ˙ & # &#

Œ œ

SC O

° ## ˙ & 52

U ˙

œ

˙

it's

sun - rise.

œ œ™ J

œ œ™ œ œ J

The-(n)

The-(n) The- (re)

p

œ œœ

œ œ œ

œ œœ

œ œ œ

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Œœ œ

The-(n)

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The-(n)

The-(n)

The-(n)

The- (re)

## p j ¢& œ œ ™ The-(n)

j œ œ™

The-(n)

mp

œ

At

œ

the

œ

œ

sun - set,

Œ

œ

there

œ

was

œ a

˙ moon.

œ œ

At the

œ

(oo) was

## &

¢

# &#

a

˙

U µœ nœ µœ nœ 7 Œ 8

˙

(m) -oo - (n).

˙

œ

(oo) was

(m) - oo - (n).

a 3

œ œ œ œœ

˙

It

It

was

˙

dust - y

sil - ver - y.

Sil

ver - y

ver - y.

˙

U SA L

PE R

it

U œBœ nœBœ nœBœ nœBœ 43 nœ œ œ 68

˙

œ œ ˙

U 6 3 œBœ nœBœ nœBœ nœBœ 4 nœ œ œ 8

dust - y

sil - ver - y.

Sil

œ

œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ J J

œ œ œ

œ

raced

a - way from us and was lost in

the glow of

the earth.

Ϫ

## 6 ™Excited œ™ & 8Œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ J

œ œ™ œ œ œ œ J

œ œ œ œ

Then the moon

raced a - way

from us and was lost in

the glow of the

mf

¢

it

œ œ ˙

4 4˙

Then the moon

was

ver - y.

## j ‰ j ‰ j ¢& œ. œ. œ œ

° ## 6 œ™ & 8œ œ œ

it

Sil

4˙ 4

Excited mf

j j j œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. Œ

Hushed

dust - y

## . . & œJ ‰ œJ ‰ œJ œ

73

was

sil - ver - y.

co-lour was

co-lour

it

œBœ nœBœ nœBœ nœBœ 3 nœ œ U œ 6 4 8

the

The the

it

œ œ ˙

œ œ œ 44 ˙

co-lour

was

U 7 j j j µœ nœ µœ nœ 8 œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. Œ p

˙

œ

The the

it

j j œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œJ. Œ

SC O

68

cre-scent was ra - zor sharp,

U 7 j j . µœ nœ µœ nœ 8 œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ Œ J

sun - set, there was a moo - (n).

° ## & Œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™

mp

Its

˙

œ œ œ

7

R E

° ## œ & œ œ 63

## 6 & 8

∑

Excited mf

œ™ œ œ œ

Then the moon

œ

j œ œ

raced

a - way

j œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

from us

and was lost in the

° ## œ™ & œ œ œ 77

Then the moon

œ

œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ J J

œ œ œ

œ

raced

a - way from us and was lost in

the glow of

the earth.

## Ϫ &

œ œ œ œ™

earth.

Then the moon

## & ¢

Ϫ

œ œ œ

œ œJ œ

raced a - way

œ™ œ œ œ

Then the moon

° ## ™ & Œ

raced

a - way

œ œ œ œ™

90

that

and was lost in the

˙ book

that

˙

œ œ œœ œ œ

most

like

a

˙

˙

˙

˙

Al - most

like

a

stor

U

you read

you read

œ œ U ˙

Al -

p

Œ

as a child.

U œ œ ˙

Œ

as a child.

most

like

œœ

stor

2 œ œ œ œ™ ˙™ 4 ˙

œ œ œ œ ˙

book

¢

from us

œ œ œœ œ œ

œ œ œ œ ˙

book

œ œ

Al -

glow of the earth.

PE R ° ## œ & œ

## &

j œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ

U p 2 Œ œ œ œ œ™ ˙™ 4 œ œ œ

glow of the earth.

glow of the earth.

# &#

the glow of the

œ

U SA L

Ϫ

Ϫ

earth.

¢

from us and was lost in

j œ œ

lost in theglow of the earth.

## &

œ œ œ œ

U ™ ˙™ 2 p œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4Œ œ œ œ

81

## &

œ œ™ œ œ œ œ J

SC O

glow of the earth.

Ϫ

R E

8

a

stor

- y

œœ

- y

˙ -

y -

œ œ œ œœ œ œœœ ˙ The

first

œ

œ œ

œ

œ œœœ ˙

The

The

first

œ œ ˙

U œ œ ˙

œœœ

œœœ

that you read

as a child.

The

first

first

view.

œ

˙ view.

The first view.

9

˙ view.

¢

view.

Pol - lu-tion

œnœj ˙™

n˙

fires

fires

## nœj œ # œ # œ œ & n˙ n˙

° ## ˙ n˙ & 114

We

# ˙ &# #˙ We

¢

## n˙ & We

˙

nœj

fires

We

œ

œ#œjn˙

j œ

saw

fires

#˙ n˙ saw

fires

fires

saw

smoke - stacks

n˙ saw

˙

j #œ

saw

fires

f

#˙ saw

saw

smog lay - ers.

We

n˙

#œj

#˙

We

We

œ ˙

˙ n˙ ˙

j #œ

nœ#œj nœ#œj nœ#œj nœ smoke

stacks

œ#œj n˙

j #œ

œ

œ

smog lay - ers. We

saw,

saw

#˙ #˙

We

saw smog

˙ n˙

˙ n˙

We

saw

We

nœ n˙

smoke - stacks We

f

œj

#˙

˙ n˙ saw

œj

#˙ ˙

f

#œ œ œ nœ œj

lay- ers. We saw,

#œj

n˙

#œj

fires,

saw

˙

n˙

œj œ œj #œ ˙ # ˙ œ œj

#˙

˙

œj

œ We

˙

œ

#˙

œj

˙

n˙

n˙

We

œj

#œj

mf

j œ

n˙

j œ

œj

fires

n˙

˙

˙

œ n˙ #œ

˙™

saw

n˙

fires

#˙

˙

nœj

PE R

We

saw

n˙

We

did see it.

U SA L saw

n˙

We

did see it.

I

˙

nœj

saw

¢

I

Pol - lu-tion

108

## nœj ˙ &

j #œ

Œ nœ nœ œ Œ nœ 43 nœ œ œ Œ 44 Ó

first view.

° ## & n˙ #˙

did see it.

˙

mf

œ œœœ ˙ The

I

j œ

Œ œ œ œ Œ œ 43 œ œ œ Œ 44 Œ œjn˙

˙

œ

The first

# &#

Pol - lu-tion

mf

R E

The first

## & œ

Œ œ œ œ Œ nœ 43 nœ œ œ Œ 44 #œjn˙

SC O

° ## œ œ œ & 100

j #œ

n˙

fires,

nœ#œj nœ#œj nœ#œj nœ fires,

fires

œ#œj n˙

j #œ

fires,

nœ

fires,

œj

w

œ œ œ nœ œ œ #œ œ nœ œ œ œ ‰J Œ #œ ™ œj nœ œ #œ œ Ó 44 J J

fires

So man-y peo-ple are

## j & #œ n˙ #œj n˙

¢

So man-y peo-ple are

Tempo primo

œ

œ œ ˙

œ

like

like

˙

131

# &#

be-ing in the

¢

## &

˙

rock

œ ˙

-

ver

ri

ver

ri

œ œ ˙

near a

ri -

ar - gu - ing or fight- ing.

al -

˙

˙

whirl - pools

œ œ

are

˙

œ

œ ˙

ways

œ

pre - sent

œ ˙

al - ways

œ œ œ œ

œ œ b˙

-

ver

-

3

˙

ver.

Œ

near

a

3

j ‰ œ œ œ

liv - ing in these lit-tle whirl-pools and for

œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ

We seem to be

j ‰ œ œ œ

liv - ing in these lit-tle whirl-pools and for

3

We seem to be

mf

œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ

ver

a

which are al-ways pre - sent be - hind a lit - tle

We seem to be

mf

near

pre - sent

˙

œ

œ œ ˙

œ Œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ ˙ -

which

mf

œ œ b˙

œ ˙ ri

which are

whirl pools

œ œ œ œ

like

° ## & œ b˙ ri

œ œ b˙

œ ˙

whirl pools

PE R

It's

œ œ ˙

ar-gu-ing or fight- ing,

U SA L

## 4 mp ¢& 4 ˙

It's

ar - gu - ing or fight- ing.

j j Œ j ‰ j Ó 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ ˙™

## 4 mp & 4Œ ˙

ar-gu-ing or fight- ing,

ff

j œ fires

It's

ar - gu - ing or fight- ing.

‰ œj œ œ œj œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ™ œj Ó 44 œ œ œ œ So man-y peo-ple are

° ## 4 mp & 4Œ ˙ 125

ar-gu-ing or fight- ing,

ff

fires

# &#

rall.

ff

R E

° ## & 120

SC O

10

œ

‰

j n œ œ

liv - ing in these lit-tle whirl-pools and for

get that there is a whole

ri - ver.

The pic-ture is much big- ger,

3 3 ## & œ œ œ œ œ n˙ bœ œ Œ œ œ œ nœ ˙

3

œ #œ œ œ œ n˙

œ œ

get that there is a whole

Tempo primo

We

## & Œ ˙

mp

We

## mp ¢& ˙ œ

should

take time

should

œ

look at the big

¢

œ œ œ œ ˙

˙™

3

˙

Œœ

œ

should

˙

look at the big

pic - ture.

˙

3

œ œœ ˙

Œ œ

pic - ture.

œ œœ ˙

look at the big

p

˙

˙

pic - ture.

œ

take time

Œ

œ ˙™

œ

œ

œ 3œ œ ˙

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